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chain maintenance for first timers?

3K views 18 replies 9 participants last post by  jlegere 
#1 ·
This is my first chain driven bike and I am hoping that someone will be kind enough to give me the low down on what I need to do for maintenance.
 
#3 ·
Already said?

As this is such an essential subject, there may already be a
"THIS IS THE ONLY CHAIN THREAD" thread, but here is a starting point:

How to Maintain and Adjust Your Motorcycle Chain - Tips on How to Take Care of Your Motorcycle Chain

This will get you on the right track.

But here is an idea that I like:

To make sure that you keep the rear axle perpendicular to the axis of the bike,
COUNT the turns you make when adjusting the chain, and be sure to make
exactly the same number of turns on the other (right in this case) side.

As you make this adjustment with an Allen key,
count the turns in sixths of a complete rotation.

Adjust the left: one sixth, two sixths, three sixths ... then do the same on the right.

When the turns are exactly equal, check the tension.
If you have made the chain too tight, back off equally on each side.

If you ever lose count, your rear axle may get away from perpendicular to
the direction the bike is going. When you see a motorcycle (or a car for that
matter) proceeding like a dog, angled to its direction of travel, then the
alignment is off, and it can be troublesome to get everything aligned right.

After all, If Mrs. Suzuki originally aimed us right, and we keep aligned,
we ought to stay properly aimed for ever, right? Just hope that whoever
services your motorcycle doesn't screw up the alignment.

That never happens, does it? Naaaaaaaahhhhhh.

Good luck.
I have been messin' with chains for 50 years, and it's still fun.
Keith
 
#5 ·
When people give you advice on how to maintain your chain make sure to ask them how long their chains last.

My advice: Don't both with any sort of cleaning of your chain. Lube it with every tank of gas and after very ride in the rain. You only need to lube the area where the side plates touch each other as lube will get on the few other places that need it. I use Wurth HHS2000 and doing the above routine had the last chain I replaced last until close to 50,000 miles vs roughly 20,000 to 25,000 miles for my previous chains which were taken care of the way your manual suggests (and which is similar to the link given previously.)

..Tom
 
#11 ·
You only need to lube the area where the side plates touch each other

..Tom
Tom, what do you mean here? Thanks.
 
#6 ·
Other good chain lubes are TriFlow, PJ1 Blue, DuPont Chain Saver (yellow label). Lube every other tank of gas in dry weather and every tank in the wet or in grit.

A chain a bit loose is better than a chain that is a bit tight. (When the rear wheel rises the chain gets tighter. If too tight it wears very fast.). The chain rarely needs adjustment. Expect it to live 20,000 miles or more with proper lube.

Do not trust the marks by the axle for alignment. Look at the chain running over the sprocket to be sure that it is running straight off the sprocket.

A small dab of anti seize on the axle threads is good, and torque the axle nut to 58 lbs-ft (not the book spec) if you lube these threads with the anti seize.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Other good chain lubes are TriFlow, PJ1 Blue, DuPont Chain Saver (yellow label). Lube every other tank of gas in dry weather and every tank in the wet or in grit.

A chain a bit loose is better than a chain that is a bit tight. (When the rear wheel rises the chain gets tighter. If too tight it wears very fast.). The chain rarely needs adjustment. Expect it to live 20,000 miles or more with proper lube.

Do not trust the marks by the axle for alignment. Look at the chain running over the sprocket to be sure that it is running straight off the sprocket.

A small dab of anti seize on the axle threads is good, and torque the axle nut to 58 lbs-ft (not the book spec) if you lube these threads with the anti seize.

Agreed on all points.

You can order the DuPont Chain Saver at McMaster-Carr. Walmart supposedly carries it, but it always seems to be out of stock, probably due to widespread hoarding. It's good stuff. :mrgreen:


Don't get too caught up in the endless crap-slinging around chain lube. Just do SOMETHING to keep the chain from getting all rusty and keep it slightly loose.

Bear in mind that the Vee/Wee has more suspension travel than most streetbikes (6 inches vs. 4), so you do need to run the chain a bit looser than most folks are used to. Nothing will kill a chain faster than a n00b who overtightens it, plus you have the possibility of serious engine damage if you bend the countershaft.
 
#8 ·
picked up some teflon chain saver. proceeded to lube.

Found a broken link, the roller is split. 18k on it if it is the original chain.

Now to figure out what chain to buy.
 
#9 ·
A member here, Blair, has a mail order business where he offers very good parts at very fair prices. Svracingparts.com. Blair is an SV racer and strom rider. His chain and sprockets are very good. You'll need a chain tool for the rivet master link.
 
#10 ·
Yep. This. Blair has great prices on top quality chains and sprockets.

Good thing you inspected your chain carefully and caught the problem! :hurray:
 
#12 ·
I went to a MC race this summer. While standing at one of the corners at the track I was surprised at how loose the chains were.......TD
 
#14 ·
  • ST1793-ST1793-46 BLK Supersprox STEALTH Tri-Metal 520 Rear Sprocket - SUZUKI -REAR SPROCKET SIZE: 46 - Limited Edition BLACK 1 $69.95 $69.95
  • D28402 Superlite 520 Chromoly Steel Drilled Steel Front Race Sprocket -FRONT SPROCKET SIZE: 17 1 $31.95 $31.95
  • D520ZVMXG D.I.D. 520ZVMX Super Street Series 1200cc Rated Gold X'ring Chain -CHAIN LENGTH: 120 Links ($159.00) 1 $159.00 $159.00

did I do wrong? will this adversely affect my riding to much? ( mostly flat where I live ). I know I will have to cut this chain ( think I need to remove 3 links )
 
#15 ·
525 chain is the correct size -- is there some reason you'd switch to 520?

Some Vee riders switch to 530 chain, but this is not necessary on the Wee.

I have no knowledge regarding a 520 chain conversion on a Wee, so I'll let the Wee owners take that question.

If it were me, I'd just order the correct stuff from Blair and be done with it -- you very likely can't beat this price for this quality:
http://www.svracingparts.com/products/#!/~/product/category=472490&id=1666427
 
#16 ·
I'll throw in my opinion on chains/sprockets as I am very persnickety about this maintenance item. Since our chains are O-rings/X-rings, lubing them are relegated to keeping the rings wet and free from dirt and sand. Some of the lubes I've used in the past were very tacky and attracted dirt/sand even though the label claimed ...'does not attract dirt'. Hey, if it's sticky/tacky, it attracts dirt!! On the advice of PTRider(I think), I began using the DuPont Chain Saver which is a thin wax based Teflon lube that I apply using a small brush. The brush is used to minimize waste and mess. Also, chain alignment is very important to me so I bought a Profi-D Cat laser alignment tool for about $85. The alignment marks on the swingarm are not even close to being accurate. If that price is too high, consider the tool from Motion Pro. It's relatively cheap and will get your alignment pretty close. Good call on dabbing a little anti-seize on the axle nut as it is one fastener that will be loosened/tightened over and over again. Use a Q-tip to apply a small amount of anti-seize to the threads and use the lesser torque as mentioned by the above poster. When you choose your chain replacement brand, you should consider replacing the chain and sprockets as a set to reduce accelerated wear of the new chain. Certain high-end D.I.D chains require their own riveting tool vs a generic riveting tool. I'd decide which chain brand I want to go with and stick with that particular chain and then buy their tool and you won't have to have to consider buying multiple tools. These things are not cheap. I went with RK chain&tool and Sunstar sprockets. There are great quality chain/sprockets from Renthal, D.I.D, RK, and others.
 
#17 ·


This pic is from EK chain, one of several good manufacturers. It shows that the seal holds in lube between the pin and bushing, but does not provide lube between the bushing and the roller. We have to lube that part.

Expect the 520 chain to have a shorter life than the original 525 chain. The difference is the width of the chain. The wider chain spreads the load over more surface area so the load per unit of area is reduced and thus the wear is less. On the Vee a 530 chain gives longer life for the same reason. The narrower chain is slightly lighter for very slightly better performance, costs less, and dies sooner.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Thanks for the diagrams!!

I cannot believe how many folks here *still* do not know where the lube needs to be applied. The diagrams should say it all.

The sideplates should never-ever touch each other because the O/X rings prevent them from touching. Lube on the O/X rings may be beneficial in preventing dryout. The O/X rings keep the factory lube on the PINS..... not the ROLLERS.

Consequently - The ONLY place we need to apply lube is UNDER THE ROLLERS. The best way to force the lube into this location is to spray ON THE REAR SPROCKET and allow the lube to run down to the chain.... thus entering precisely where it needs to go under the rollers.

The only reason I apply lube to the side of my chain is to prevent rust.
 
#19 · (Edited)
well I will use the 520 chain for now since I have it and HAVE to replace the one I have. I will also get a feel for if I have the right ratio. when next I change out I will go back to a 525 if I find the wear to much.
 
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